How to Clean Out a Puppy's Stomach

Introduction

There will be moments in your puppy's life when he will get into something, and you’re not quite sure what it was, how much of it he ate, or what it could possibly do to him. An instance such as a troublesome puppy eating something potentially dangerous might require a tummy clean out. If you ever suspect your dog has gotten into something poisonous and harmful, call your veterinarian right away for advice. However, there are moments in the life of a puppy when you know he’s eaten a little too much or he’s had something he shouldn’t have had, but it might only be upsetting to his tummy and not life-threatening. This is the case where you can focus on cleaning out your puppy's stomach and keep a close eye on him until he feels much better.

Dog's Perspective

If your little guy has gotten into something, you can tell he’s not feeling well. You may notice him throwing up, gagging, or even having bouts of diarrhea. This is a time to have him rest, empty that tummy, and recycle with hydration and nutrition after several hours.

The Fast and Monitor Method

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Step

1

Hydration levels

Check your puppy for hydration. Lift his skin and watch the elasticity to see if he’s dehydrated. If you suspect dehydration, call your veterinarian. If your pup is properly hydrated, continue with a fast.

Watch your puppy closely as he fasts. If he becomes lethargic, consider adding a small amount of sugar to a small amount of water and let him drink. Avoid allowing your puppy to gulp too much water.

Step

4

Water

After twelve hours, give him water, but don’t let him drink too much at one time. If he’s searching for water while fasting, offer a small amount of water a few times throughout the day.

Step

5

Eating again

Twelve hours of fasting should be enough for your puppy’s stomach to settle and for anything hurting him to pass. Once he has fasted, feed him a small amount of boiled chicken. Allow this to settle before feeding more. Do this every hour to two hours. As long as your puppy takes it well without vomiting, you can add a small amount of boiled rice to the chicken.

Step

6

Next day

Keep your puppy on the boiled food diet for one day, giving him small meals and water. After a day of this diet, slowly introduce his kibble to the boiled diet. Watch him closely for vomiting and diarrhea.

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The Bland Diet Method

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Step

1

Fast

Do not feed your puppy any meals for the rest of the day. An overnight fast typically works for puppies, but if he’s sick early in the day you can skip all day and overnight as long as he has water.

Step

2

Drinking

Add a half a teaspoon of honey to water and allow him to drink a small amount of water before bedtime. This will help keep him hydrated overnight.

Step

3

Bland diet

For your puppy’s first meal, give him boiled rice.

Step

4

Watch

As long as he has an appetite, he should eat what you give him. If he is lethargic, consider a call to your vet. As your puppy’s stomach clears, his potty habit might change for a day or so. He may still go, but might skip as well. Just be sure he is urinating. This should show you he is not dehydrated.

Step

5

More meals

As his tummy is cleaning out, you can slowly add boiled chicken and kibble to his bland diet. Give him one meal with rice, one meal with rice and chicken, and one meal with rice, chicken, and kibble. Add more volume with each meal, ensuring he can digest properly without upsetting his stomach.

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Caution & Considerations

It’s extremely important if you suspect your puppy has eaten poison or ingested something life-threatening to call your veterinarian for an assessment right away.

If you’re taking a break from feeding your dog after cleaning out his stomach, be sure he has access to clean, fresh water.

Though your puppy can afford to miss a few meals, he needs to be sipping on water or eating ice cubes to stay hydrated.

While you’re cleaning out your puppy's stomach, be sure to watch him for lethargy. He might be tired and resting in general because he may not feel well, but a particularly lethargic puppy may be in trouble.

If your puppy is overly lethargic, it’s important to call your veterinarian for assessment.

If your puppy has not urinated or appears dehydrated, he also may be in danger.

Pinch a small amount of skin and pull up on it. If it bounces back in place quickly, he’s hydrated. If it stays upright or slowly goes down, your pup is dehydrated.

Fasting should only last 12 hours for a puppy. Introduce bland foods slowly.

Conclusion

You know your little friend is not feeling well. Maybe he ate too much or maybe what he ate is not agreeing with him. Puppies who drink from standing water or puddles can get bacteria in the gut causing pain, discomfort, vomiting, and diarrhea. With a number of things that could happen, when you know he's just not feeling well but isn't in danger of having ingested a toxin, you can help him feel better by cleaning out his tummy and starting bland foods for easy digestion.